A Mission Apart
by Breaboo
Summary: Maka and Soul are now adults and sharing a room together. Maka teaches at the DWMA and Soul is a Death Scythe, but when their world gets turned upside down because Lord Death gives Soul a solo mission, they see just how strong their bond is and learn just how much they love each other.


Maka couldn't have been more proud that her best friend and weapon was now a Death Scythe. They still shared the same apartment, though they had grown extremely close. One might even classify them as lovers as they shared a room together, leaving a spare room for guests. Soul had yet to pop the question, though he already had the perfect ring. He had purchased it about a years ago, which was when they decided to share a room.

Anyone could see that they were absolutely smitten for each other, despite their arguments. Soul always made sure that Maka was safe and Maka, in turn, did the same for him. They fought like siblings, laughed like best friends and loved like…well, lovers.

This day, however, was drastically different than most of their other days. Maka had gotten up and went to the school to get ready to teach classes, while Soul slept a couple hours before checking in with Lord Death. Nothing seemed abnormal that day; it wasn't raining, there wasn't a sense of dread and there were no signs that today would change their lives.

Soul was called into the Death Room about halfway through the day, he didn't think anything of it. He had thought that Lord Death was going to give him another quick job nearby. He did not know just how wrong he was. He entered the room easily and crossed to the platform where Death stood.

"Yo," He said casually as he made his way to his boss's side.

Lord Death turned to him. "I have a mission for you, Soul Eater," He replied. Soul nodded as if to say that he already knew that. "I'm actually sending you on a solo mission," Death explained, bobbing slightly in his place. "All the way in Ireland,"

Soul's body visibly tensed and he clenched his jaw. "What?" His voice was tight, "What about Maka?"

Lord Death waved a dismissive hand. "She'll be fine, she's tough," He sounded so casual. "You leave tomorrow morning, so better get packed,"

Soul didn't even respond; he gave a curt nod and turned on his heels, leaving Death behind him as he tried to find a way to explain things to Maka. In a short time, he made it to the apartment and through some clothes into a suitcase. Soul sat on the edge of the bed and put his head into his hands, feeling a pain in his chest. A pain that could only be explained as anxiety and sadness, he wasn't sure he would fare well without seeing Maka. One of his hands dropped to his chest and clutched his shirt, right where the pain was, as he choked on a sob. Hot tears fell from his eyes down his cheeks and onto his pants. He gasped for air as another sob shook his body. "I'm sorry, Maka," His voice broke mid-whisper.

To be fair, Maka had been Soul's saving grace. Before he met her, he had struggled with depression and was always irritable, but there was something in her soul that made him feel like he was human again. To Soul, all those problems had meant that he was weak and helpless, but Maka had shown him that it was just from being strong too long with no release. Soul pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes until he saw stars. He took several deep breaths and decided to make supper before Maka got home; maybe that would soften the blow. He left the apartment and went to buy some groceries.

Maka got off earlier than normal and finished filing some papers in her office. She grabbed her sweater and pulled it on as she exited the school. She was thinking about what food they had and what meal she could make with it. She pulled her lanyard out of her sweater's pocket and unlocked the door to their apartment. She pushed it open and went inside, pushing it closed with her hip. As she went to the bedroom, she set the keys on the small table by the door.

Maka started unbuttoning her blouse, but only got part of the way through it before she spotted the suitcase. She eyed it and chewed her lip nervously, thinking that she wasn't probably supposed to see that. She felt her cheeks get hot and her heart jump to her throat as a million thoughts raced across her mind. Quickly, she changed from the professional clothes that she had to wear to work to sweats and a loose tee shirt.

Maka grabbed a book from the bookshelf and sat down on the couch, opening to where she left off. It wasn't a particularly interesting book, but yet it was curious enough to keep her interest, she brought her feet up onto the couch and crossed them. It was almost a half hour before Soul got home.

The front door clicked open and Soul walked in, humming tunelessly. He didn't notice Maka when he walked past her, not until she sat up and looked at him. He stopped as there was a look in her eyes, he knew she had seen his bag. Guilt washed over him and he sighed, setting the bags on the coffee table.

"When were you going to tell me?" She asked as she slid her book mark into the book and snapped it close.

Soul took a seat next to her, she pulled her legs away from him. "I…" He ran a hand through his already messy hair, "Lord Death gave me the orders today," His explanation made her feel a bit better, but she couldn't imagine living here without him.

Maka closed her eyes, "Oh," Was all she said as she leaned against the arm of the couch. Soul reached for her hand and took it gently, looking to her eyes. His expression resembled that of a scolded puppy. Maka took a deep breath and turned to him, her knees to her chest. "It won't be too long, will it?" She asked softly, she twiddled her fingers between his and stared at their intertwined hands.

Soul suddenly gripped her hand and sighed, an ache in his chest. "Death said that it could take up to two years." His voice was barely a whisper. Maka's breath hitched in her throat and she clenched her jaw, holding back the tears.

"T-two years?" She cracked and the tears rolled down her face. "I-I can't do that Soul, I'm… I'm not strong enough, without you…" Her voice was raw and full of emotion. Soul pulled her into his lap and just held her while he let his tears fall silently. She leaned against his chest and gripped his shirt, her sobs shaking. "You can't go… You can't leave me…" She whimpered. Soul pressed his lips to her forehead and smoothed her hair.

"Maka, you know I have no choice," He said painfully, gripping her body against his. She sniffled and nodded, her heart was pounding. Soul met her eyes and did the only thing he thought would help; he kissed her on the lips. She froze for a moment and then melted into him, resting her arms around his neck. He pushed her gently onto her back and broke the kiss, moving to the right side of her neck. Though Maka claimed her left side was more sensitive, it was clear her right side was more so.

Soul brushed his teeth against her collarbone and a raspy gasp escaped her lips as her body became rigid. His hands rested on either sides of her ribcage as he continued to bite and kiss her neck and shoulder. Her hands quickly became entangled in his hair and she gave a soft tug. He growled, slumping against her momentarily before leaning back up.

There was a dark look of lust and love on his face as he picked her up and carried her to their shared bedroom. He gently tossed her onto the bed and crawled after her. Maka laughed softly and gazed up at Soul who was hovering just above her. She felt her heart skip a beat as her eyes met his crimson ones. He leaned down to kiss her, tracing her lower lip with his tongue as a way to ask permission for entrance. Soon, they were entangled with each other, small gasps and groans were audible, yet they were still clothed.

They parted for air and Soul looked to her face, "Do you want to?" He asked, shaking his head a moment. "I mean, if you want to stop, that's ok—"

Maka had cut him off by putting a hand over his mouth. "I know that this is what I want," She whispered softly, "I want you," She said, feeling a bit bolder. She grabbed his hair again and tugged it roughly, he moaned in response and his hips grinded into hers. She gripped his hair tighter for a moment and then released it. She tugged at his shirt and he allowed her to pull it off, tossing it aside.

Her hand traced the scare left from years past when he protected her. He rested his hand over her's, looking at her face. "It doesn't hurt anymore," He said softly, watching her carefully. She looked back up at him for a moment before tearing off her own shirt. Soul's cheeks flushed and his breath hitched in his throat. He stared at her face with wide eyes and she smirked, tilting her head slightly.

Together, they sat up and Maka took his hand and put it in the middle of her chest, her heart was pounding quickly. "You feel that, Soul?" She whispered, searching his eyes. He nodded slowly. "You're the only person that can do that to me," Her voice was soft and Soul's eyes finally wandered down her body.

He swallowed hard and met her eyes again. "You're beautiful, you know that?" He said, letting his hand fall away from her. She giggled as her cheeks flushed slightly and she looked away. Soul took this moment to tackle her and continued his assault on her neck. Maka let out a small squeak and she gripped the sheets, trying to remember how to breathe again. His hands wandered up her side and traced the underside of her breast and he softly bit her neck. Maka's hands immediately found themselves entangled in his hair, causing Soul to growl in response.

She breathed out slowly and turned herself so she could kiss him. He pressed his lips against her roughly and gently started to tug her sweats off of her with one hand. As they continued kissing and becoming more familiar with each other's bodies, they helped each other remove the rest of their clothing.

Soul hovered above Maka for a moment and she gazed up at him. "We should use a condom," Soul said, backing away for a moment as Maka nodded. He found one in the drawer of the night stand and rolled it on. He crawled back over her and met her eyes as he chewed his lip. He pressed into her slowly, making sure to stop when she'd hiss or gasp.

Once he had fully penetrated, he waited for her to indicate that it was okay for him to move. Maka was breathing hard beneath him with her eyes closed and her brow furrowed. After a few minutes she opened her eyes and looked up at the white haired male. His crimson eyes were staring at her with a worried expression. "I-I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" Though his voice was tight, he wanted to make sure she was okay.

Maka breathed out slowly and shook her head. "You didn't," She said, meeting his eyes. She shifted beneath him and nodded, "I… I think you can move," She pursed her lips. He nodded in response and pulled his hips back from her slowly before pushing back inside her. His body shook slightly and she let out a small gasp. Electricity shot across her body as he moved and she arched her back. "Oh," She murmured, her hands gripping his back.

Soul's head dropped to her shoulder and he nipped at her collarbone which caused her to claw at his back. He growled darkly and picked up the pace, she rolled her hips into him. She panted beneath him and then out a moan. Soul smirked against her skin and suddenly pulled her into a hot blooded kiss. Their tongues swirled together in a heated battle for dominance. Soul, of course, won and pinned her arms above her head. He watched her face and listened to her noises and grunted, feeling his end coming near.

"Maka!" He half moaned, half shouted. "I'm almost there," He was gritting his teeth in an attempt to not finish before his lover. The small girl nodded, feeling the tightness building in her lower abdomen. She let out a panting moan and closed her eyes. She could feel it, she was teetering on the edge of an orgasm. Her thighs tingled intensely and so did the rest of her body.

For a moment, everything was suspended, to Soul and Maka that moment seemed like forever. Then everything came crashing down. Maka let out a loud shriek of pleasure and Soul growled as his body shuddered in finish. He collapsed on top of her, they were breathing hard for several moments before they said anything.

"Whoa.." Maka said softly, pushing some hair from his eyes.

Soul raised an eyebrow, "You're telling me," He said gruffly before pulling out. "Er… I'll let you have the first shower, love," He said, "I'll start dinner," Maka nodded in agreement and they both found a pair of underwear. She grabbed some PJs from their dresser and went to the bathroom. He pulled on some PJ pants and tossed the condom into the trash, then he washed his hands. He picked up the bags he had left on the table and put the things he had purchased away.

He started on making spaghetti sauce and put a pot of water on to boil. He hummed "I Wouldn't Mind" by He is We quietly. After a bit, Maka came in and smiled, leaning against the wall as she watched him stir the red sauce and add spices. It took her a moment to recognize the song he was humming and when she did, she joined in.

"I'm not afraid, anymore. I'm not afraid. Forever is a long time, but I wouldn't mind spending it by your side." She sang softly, Soul turned to her and smiled. Her ashy blonde hair was still wet, but had acquired a slight wave. She was dressed in one of his shirts, which she had paired with black leggings.

He met her eyes with a relaxed smile, "Gods, you're beautiful," He whispered softly as he set the wooden spoon aside. He walked over to her and pulled her into hug, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm gonna hop in the shower, can you handle this?" He asked, gesturing to the stove behind him.

Maka nodded, "Yea, you should shower," She teased with a smirk, "You smell," Her smirk grew to a grin. Soul rolled his eyes and kissed the top of her head before heading to the bathroom. She walked over to the pot and gave the noodles a swift stir and glanced at the timer that Soul had set. She drummed her fingers on the counter and thought of Soul leaving.

An ache developed in her chest and she bit her lip. She grabbed her shirt in an attempt to hold together the feeling of falling apart. She swallowed air and tried to calm herself, she closed her eyes as she pursed her lips. 'I can't do this,' she thought, a lump forming in her throat. Her free hand clutched the edge of the counter for support.

Suddenly, the timer went off which caused her to jump. She snapped back to reality and checked to see if the noodles were completely cooked. She put a strainer in sink and grabbed some hot pads. She carried the pot of boiling water and strained the noodles before putting them back into pot. She grabbed the olive oil and poured some into noodles, stirring it in evenly.

Soul came in at that moment, only wearing sweats. "Smells delicious," He said, walking over to the stove to stand by Maka.

Maka rolled her eyes. "That's all you, babe," She responded, "I wasn't the one who made the red sauce." Soul smiled, grabbing a hot pad and pouring the sauce into the pot of spaghetti.

"Well, I'm obviously a master chef," He responded as Maka shot him a look and he stifled a chuckle. "Okay, well," He took the pasta fork and finished stirring in the sauce. She handed him a bowl and he dished up the food and handed it back to her as she handed him another bowl. They sat at the dining table and ate quietly, neither of them had realized just how hungry they were.

They cleaned up without a word, putting the left overs away and hand washing the dished they had used.

"You're quiet," Soul said softly as he grabbed her hand gently. Maka stared at the floor and shrugged. He put his free hand under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Maka, are you okay?" Another shrug was her response, but her eyes had betrayed her. They were sad and full of pain, she squeezed his hand hard as tears welled up in her eyes. He quickly pulled her into a protective hug as she sobbed against his chest.

"Y-You can't go," She whispered, "I'm not good at being alone," She shook her head, pressing her face against his chest harder, inhaling his scent. "Without you…" She closed her eyes, trying to slow the flow of tears.

Soul watched her in horror, his heart aching as he watched her cry. He held her tightly against him and attempted to comfort her as best he could. "I'm sorry, Maka…" His voice was full of pain, "I don't want to go, but I don't have any choice," He whispered, shaking his head.  
"What if you don't make it back?"

"I will, I promise,"

"You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep,"

"I promise that I will see you again, this I swear to you,"

The following morning was hell on both of them. Maka said good bye to Soul at the airport along with Blackstar, Tsubaki, Kid, Liz and Patty. Soul kept it together, not wanting to seem weak in front of their friends. Maka, however, was a mess; crying and shaking, they hadn't been apart since she was thirteen.

(Almost a year later)

 _Dearest Maka,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. I know I haven't written in a couple weeks, tracking this kishin egg has been stressful. I've had several encounters with the creature, but it never battles long enough for me to take it out. It has been terrorizing some of the local towns in Southern Ireland, so I've also been instructed to half clean up after it. The locales seem to have taken a liking to me, at the very least, they respect me. I suppose it doesn't help that I've been here for several months, almost a year actually._

 _The bed and breakfast that I'm staying at is run by this little old lady, she's really funny. Always threatening to kick my ass if I don't finish the food she brings me. She wants me to bring you here sometime, I think you'd get along together. She's pretty headstrong and takes care of a lot of the work in the house, though her son protests profusely due to her age. She also tried to serve me Guinness (a traditional Irish beer) with breakfast, but I declined as I need to stay sharp for the work I'm doing. Apparently, serving that with breakfast is a tradition. What a strange, but delightful country._

 _I miss you more and more with every passing moment. I've started dreaming of you, you're so beautiful and ugh… Maka Albarn, I can't wait to see you again. I hope you're not angry with me for stealing one of your sweaters, I just wanted something that smelled like you. Though, since I've slept with it every night, it has lost your smell. I hope to be coming home, maybe, within the next few weeks. I don't want to get your hopes up, but I think I've got the kishin egg's movements mapped out._

 _I love and miss you so much,_

 _Soul Evans._

 _To the love of my life; Soul Eater Evans,_

 _Nothing around here has changed much. I guess I didn't tell you in my last letter that Kid has finally calmed down from his OCD and its all thanks to Crona. Who would've thought that those two would've fallen for each other? Its so cute, really, because Kid thinks Crona is perfect just the way he is. I'm glad that Crona has someone, he deserves to be loved like that. Blackstar and Tsubaki have been gone on a mission for a couple weeks, surprise there. I wonder if they've accomplished any work out there, I'm sure Tsubaki somehow got him to._

 _In other news, all of the students in my classes are passing. They're such a smart and strong group of kids, it reminds me a lot of when we were younger. Do you ever think of when we first met? I do, I miss hearing you play the piano, and I miss hearing you sing. Most of all, though, I miss you holding me at night. Days are, simultaneously, dragging and flying by, they're all kind of blurring together. Is that strange?_

 _Kid mentioned that he's going to be having a summer BBQ kick off thing sometime next week. I think he said next weekend, I'll have to ask. I think I'll make macaroni salad to bring or maybe I'll make dessert, I don't know. I'll figure that out later, I guess._

 _I love and miss you so much,_

 _Maka Albarn_

The next day, Maka sent the letter out and went to work. Over lunch as she was heading to the teacher lounge, she overheard a conversation between Lord Death and her father.

"It's a shame that such a good weapon was put out like that," Lord Death said.

"It's not like their dead, just maimed," Spirit responded.

Lord Death sighed, "It's still such a shame, he was so close,"

"He just needs to get better than we can put him back to work," Spirit sounded confident, "He's a strong kid,"

Maka froze and gripped the hem of her dress. 'Oh gods, was that Soul they were talking about?' She backed away and hurried back to her office. She fell into her desk chair and put her head into her hands. She felt a panic attack coming on, though she hadn't had one in weeks, Soul being away did not help her anxiety. Her heart rate increased and she lost her appetite as she felt tears in her eyes. 'It's not him, Soul is fine, it is NOT him, Soul IS fine,' she thought, rocking herself slightly. She ran her fingers through her hair and tugged it, trying to control her breathing.

Luckily, she didn't have another class for an hour so she had time to compose herself enough to go on teaching and lecturing like she normally does. Once school was out for the day, she hurried home and started making dinner. The next days seemed to be worse and worse since she had learned about the injured weapon. She was out of it and panicking, her students noticed, but didn't say anything.

Spirit made a habit of coming to visit Maka on the weekends, he was worried about as she had become extremely lethargic since Soul had gone away. He knocked on the apartment door at about ten o'clock and a sleepy Maka answered. She opened the door and looked up at him, giving him a smile. "Morning, papa," She said softly as she let him in.

Spirit ruffled her hair, "Good morning, honey," He said lovingly and went to the kitchen to make coffee for them. She closed the door behind her and followed her father to the kitchen. She hopped up on the counter to sit and wait for the coffee. "How was your night?" Spirit asked.

"Same as usual, grading papers and making food," She said with a shrug.

Spirit nodded as he started the coffee pot. "Ah, sounds fun," Maka snorted and rolled her eyes. "So are you going to Barbecue?" He asked casually.

"I thought that was next weekend," She said, her brow furrowing. "Oh, damn, it has been a week, hasn't it?" She asked, pushing some hair from her eyes. "Well, it's not until this afternoon, so I better get to making the pasta salad I promised," She slipped off the counter and found a pot. She filled it with water and put it on the stove.

Spirit smiled at his daughter. "Do you want me to go with you? I was planning on going anyway, thought I might tag along with you,"

Maka shook her head, "Tsubaki's going to pick me up," She responded with a slight smile. Spirit nodded understandingly and poured her a cup of coffee. Maka grabbed her creamer from the fridge and poured it in the dark liquid, leaving it a tan color. She took a tentative sip and smiled, it was perfect.

Together, Spirit and Maka made the macaroni salad before he left so his daughter could get ready. She got into the shower and took her time, letting the hot water relax her tense muscles. She stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel in her hair and dried her body off with another. She got dressed in high waist shorts with a crop top. She untangled her hair from the towel and ran her fingers through it. She shook her head and tucked some of it behind her ear. She stared in the mirror and sighed, nodding.

"You can do this, just another day," She said to herself. She turned on her heal and went to her bedroom and found her sandals. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang and she answered.

"Ready to go, Maka?" Asked Tsubaki.

Maka nodded, locking the door behind her and followed her friend to the car. The drive to Kid's wasn't long, but none of them felt like walking. They got out of the car and walked up the front steps to Kid's house. Blackstar knocked on the door and Kid answered, a smile on his face. He had flip flops on paired with black shorts and a white shirt.

"Hey guys, party's in the back," He said, gesturing for them to come inside. Maka lingered behind Blackstar and Tsubaki who were whispering between each other fervently. They got outside and the pair headed straight for the food.

Maka came out looking at the floor, before she looked around. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart jumped into her throat. Soul stood in the middle of the yard with his bag in hand. He wore a giant grin as he dropped the bag and opened his arms for her. She sprinted to him, tears in her eyes. He was alive, he was breathing, and, most importantly, he was home. She jumped on him and he caught her easily. She buried her face in her neck and he kissed her neck.

"What are you doing here?!" She half shouted, "You said it'd be a couple weeks," She leaned back to look at his eyes, he had been crying too.

He wore a smirk and stared at her lovingly. "I killed it a couple days ago and planned, with the help of Kid, to surprise you," He set her down and she gazed at him.

"I hate you," She said, "Seriously, that's not okay. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you," She wore a huge smile on her tear streaked cheeks.

Soul raised an eyebrow. "You love me," He said happily.

She groaned, "I do, but that's not the point." She said, shaking her head.

Soul looked around and then got down on one knee, looking up at her as he took her hands. "I've done a lot of soul searching while I was away," Maka let out a small gasp, "No pun intended," The small crowd that had gathered around them chuckled politely. "I've never felt this way about anyone, you know me better than anyone else in this world," He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

"Oh, Soul," Maka murmured tearfully with a huge smile.

He opened it to reveal a silver ring with a small diamond. He looked from the ring to her face, "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He asked, biting his lip.

Maka nodded before she responded, "Yes!" She fell into a hug with him. "I love you so much," She whispered and leaned back, allowing him to put the ring on her. She gazed at it with a smile, "Its beautiful.."

"I know you are," Soul responded.


End file.
